Highly flexible cable clamp

ABSTRACT

A self-locking clamp includes a head and a terminal end that is formed with a linear element of substantially rectangular section having one extremity connected to the head and one rack provided with teeth, wherein the sides of these teeth are free and not constrained by or integral with any lateral ribs or shoulders. In particular, in each cross section of the terminal end, the thickness of the linear element that is useful for bending is less than the overall height of the terminal end.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns the sector of fastening devices, and in particular concerns a self-locking clamp.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Self-locking clamps are known that comprise a head and a terminal end suited to be inserted in said head in such a way as to form a loop. Said self-locking clamps are mainly used to fix cables or pipes. The head of the self-locking clamp comprises a substantially prismatic body, preferably cylindrical or parallelepiped in shape, an axial opening whose size is sufficient to allow the terminal end to fit therein, said axial opening housing an elastic tooth.

The terminal end of said known self-locking clamp substantially comprises a linear element with U-shaped section, connected to the head at one extremity, and one rack, so that the sides of all the teeth of the clamp are integral with the shoulders or sides of said linear element with U-shaped section.

Said linear element comprises, therefore, a substantially flat base and two lateral raised edges orthogonal to said base. The rack is positioned in the air space created between the two lateral edges.

The coupling of the head with the terminal end is obtained by pushing the elastic tooth of said head against the rack on the terminal end.

The materials of which self-locking clamps are generally made are polyamide, plastic materials or, in any case, materials with a certain degree of flexibility.

Notwithstanding the variety of self-locking clamps available on the market, all of the solutions pose the same drawback, in fact the rigidity of these self-locking clamps makes it impossible to apply them to objects whose diameter is too small, for example for closing sacks or fastening cables with reduced diameter.

Furthermore, another limiting factor is the reduced resistance of the known clamps at low temperatures and/or in dry environments.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To remedy all the above drawbacks a new type of highly flexible self-locking clamp has been designed and constructed.

The main advantage of the new self-locking clamp lies in its increased resistance to low temperatures and in dry environments: this is due to the fact that the moment of inertia of the section of the terminal end of the new self-locking clamp is lower than that of the equivalent self-locking clamps of known type.

A further advantage lies in that the new self-locking clamp uses less material than analogous self-locking clamps available on the market.

These and other direct and complementary objects have been achieved through the construction of a highly flexible self-locking clamp.

The new self-locking clamp comprises, as to its main parts, a head and a terminal end suited to be inserted in said head in such a way as to form a loop that can only be closed.

Said head of the new self-locking clamp comprises a substantially prismatic body, preferably cylindrical or parallelepiped in shape, an axial opening whose size is sufficient to allow the terminal end of the new self-locking clamp to fit therein, said axial opening housing one or more elastic teeth.

Said terminal end of the new self-locking clamp comprises a linear element with substantially rectangular section with one extremity connected to the head, and one rack, positioned on top of said linear element, said section of said terminal end of the self-locking clamp having a reduced moment of inertia.

The coupling of the head with the free extremity of the terminal end is obtained by pushing the elastic tooth of said head against the rack on the terminal end.

A self-locking clamp according to the invention has a head and terminal end that includes a linear element, with one extremity connected to said head and with a rack on top for coupling with the tooth provided on the head, wherein the sides of the teeth of said rack are free so that, in each cross section of said terminal end, the thickness of said linear element useful for bending is less than the overall height of said terminal end in the same section.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The characteristics of the new self-locking clamp will be highlighted in greater detail in the following description, with reference to the enclosed drawings, attached as examples without limitation.

FIG. A′ shows a cross section of the terminal end of a cable clamp of known type, while FIG. A″ shows a cross section of the same terminal end of a cable clamp of known type, with U-shaped section, comprising a substantially rectangular base (M) and two upper side shoulders (P) rigidly integral with the teeth (N) positioned above said base (M).

FIG. 1 a is a top view of the new self-locking clamp, while FIG. 1 b shows the cross section of the terminal end of the self-locking clamp, and FIG. 1 c shows a variant of the same section.

FIG. 2 shows an axonometric view of the new self-locking clamp.

FIG. 3, instead, shows a longitudinal section of the new self-locking clamp with a detail of the teeth in evidence.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With particular reference to FIG. 2, a new self-locking clamp (F″) according to the invention comprises a drilled head (T) and a terminal end (C) suited to be fitted in said head (T).

Said head (T) of said self-locking clamp (F) comprises, as shown in FIG. 3, a substantially prismatic body (R), in this case cylindrical in shape, an axial opening (A) whose size is sufficient to allow said terminal end (C) of said self-locking clamp (F) to fit therein, said axial opening (A) housing one or more elastic teeth (D).

The terminal end (C) of said self-locking clamp (F) comprises a linear element (L) with substantially rectangular section and a given thickness (s) with one extremity connected to the head (T), and one rack, positioned above the linear element (L) and equipped with teeth (N) with a given height (k).

The overall height (h) of said terminal end (C) is equal to the sum of the thickness (s) of said linear element (L) and the height (k) of each individual tooth (N).

The useful thickness for bending is the height or thickness (s) of the terminal end (C) involved in the bending action when the loop of said self-locking clamp is closed.

Said rack comprises a plurality of teeth (N) with a given height (k) having, in this case, a saw-tooth profile, wherein the sides of said teeth (N) are free and not constrained to or integral with any lateral ribs or shoulders.

Said teeth (N) are slightly spaced from each other, that is, between the orthogonal surface (ON) of said tooth (N) and the inclined surface (IN) of the successive tooth (N) there is a small substantially flat surface (PN); the space created between one tooth and the successive one allows the coupling of the elastic tooth (D) during the closing operation. Furthermore, said teeth (N) can be as wide as or narrower than the linear element (L).

FIGS. 1 b and 1 c show two possible sections of said terminal end (C) of the self-locking clamp (F): in FIG. 1 b the tooth (N) is as wide as the linear element (L), while in FIG. 1 c the tooth (N) is narrower than the linear element (L).

The coupling of the head (T) with the free extremity of the terminal end (C) is obtained by pushing the elastic tooth (D) of said head (T) against the rack on the terminal end (D).

Therefore, with reference to the above description and the attached drawings, the following claims are expressed. 

1. A self-locking clamp comprising: a head; and a terminal end comprising, a linear element having one extremity connected to said head, and a rack equipped with teeth coupled to the linear element, wherein said linear element has a substantially rectangular cross section.
 2. The self-locking clamp according to claim 1, wherein said rack comprises a plurality of teeth, and wherein lateral sides of said teeth are free, not constrained by, or integral with any lateral ribs or shoulders.
 3. The self-locking clamp according to claim 2, wherein in each cross section of said terminal end a thickness of said linear element useful for bending is less than an overall height of said terminal end.
 4. The self-locking clamp according to claim 3, wherein said overall height of said terminal end is equal to a sum of the thickness of said linear element and a height of each individual tooth.
 5. The self-locking clamp according to claim 1, wherein a width of the teeth of said rack is equal to a width of said linear element.
 6. The self-locking clamp according to claim 1, wherein a width of the teeth of said rack is less than a width of said linear element.
 7. The self-locking clamp according to claim 1, wherein said head is substantially cylindrical in shape.
 8. The self-locking claim according to claim 1, wherein said head includes an aperture therein configured to receive the terminal end, and wherein one or more protrusions are disposed within the aperture such to interlock with the teeth of the rack.
 9. The self-locking element according to claim 1, wherein the teeth of the rack are longitudinally spaced one from one another. 